1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air conditioner, suitable for conditioning and prevalently refrigerating enclosed environments, as e.g. dwelling rooms, offices and the like, such air conditioner, due to its particular installation and service conditions being more properly definable as an "out-of-window" air conditioner.
2. Description of the prior art
Similar room conditioning systems -- usually called air conditioners -- are already well known and widely utilized, so that a detailed description thereof is unnecessary. However, and within the limits of what may be of interest regarding the present invention, such air conditioners generally comprise two air circuits, each including inlet and outlet passages, as well as devices such as electric fans by which an air circulation across such passages is ensured. One pair of inlet and outlet passages, appertaining to one of the circuits, is in communication with the inner atmosphere of the room to be conditioned, while the passages appretaining to the other circuit are in communication with the outer atmosphere. Moreover, such air conditioners comprise a refrigerating system including a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator for a suitable fluid, that can be converted from its gaseous condition to its liquid condition at a relatively low temperature (usually a fluorine compound, e.g. a so called "Freon"). Since room refrigeration is the main purpose for which such systems are designed, the evaporator is placed into the air circuit between the inlet and the outlet passages in communication with the room, whilst the condenser is placed into the air circuit between the inlet and the outlet passages in communication with the outdoors. Thus, when the system is operated, heat is removed from the room and dissipated to the outside.
Such primary requirement to be met by an air conditioner results in the necessity to have the same so installed to ensure the required communication both with the interior of the room and the outside. When the air conditioners are designed for rooms having a relatively small cubic volume, as e.g. dwelling rooms, windows are utilized for such installation. When permanent or semi-permanent installations are provided for and when the window comprises a portion wherein the window shutters can be removed or not utilized, recourse may be made to air conditioners having a casing (wherein all components of the air conditioner are fitted) that is installed in such a manner as to partly protrude outwardly from the window. In other and very common cases, one or two openings are formed in the window shutter glass panes and are associated with intake and exhaust ducts of the air conditioner circuit communicating with the outside. Suitable sealing means (usually rings or packings of a suitable elastomer) are obviously provided for on such openings. In the latter case, the air conditioner casing is located wholly inside of the room and is preferably supported by movable stands or the like, to thereby allow for removal of the air conditioner when the service thereof is not required (e.g. during the cold season), while the openings in the window shutter glass panes are closed by suitable discoidal elements.
Obviously, when the air conditioner is installed, in order to open the window shutter units it is necessary to remove the air conditioner, since the window shutter units are of the type which are opened by turning or swinging inwardly toward the room.
Such removal operations are neither quick, nor simple and in case of installations in dwelling rooms, and in practice the air conditioner is permanently, or nearly permanently left in its service position and conditions, during the warm season. Moreover, when the outer sunlight is to be intercepted (e.g. when the conditioned room is a bed room) by closing the outer shutters, e.g. by completely lowering a rolled shutter, any possibility of utilizing the air conditioner is obviously excluded, since the free circulation of the outside air current across the conditioner is entirely prevented.
This represents a serious service restriction of such air conditioners which are entirely installed within a room. As a matter of fact the air conditioner prevents the free and frequent opening of the window units. It would be desirable to ensure a complete air renewal in the room and also to enjoy the psychological effects of natural air circulation, e.g. when the outside air is cooler such as at twilight and dawn, as well as to eliminate the feeling -- disagreable for some people -- of being in a room which is entirely closed from the outside.
A further heavy drawback of normal air conditioners, in particular when installed wholly inside of a room, is their unavoidable noise. Such drawback is felt in particular by those which want to sleep in a conditioned room. The utilization of a normal air conditioner for the refrigeration or at any rate the conditioning of a bed room typically results in the necessity of not being able to have the room entirely obscured or darkened by the outer shutters and leads to a permanent disadvantage caused by the noise of operating the conditioner.